The Monthly Flight Plan

Welcome to November! We have another exciting and busy month ahead at Congaree Elementary as we celebrate American Education Week, Native American Heritage Month, National Family Literacy Month, National Aviation Month (Go Aviators!), Thanksgiving, and many other activities.

There will be NO SCHOOL for students and staff for Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. All adults are encouraged to learn the issues and to exercise your rights as US Citizens to vote.

One of our biggest events this month will be our annual PTO Family Skate Night on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. It is one of the best values in town for an evening of fun for the entire family! Family Skate Night is FREE for all PTO member families, so if you have not joined the PTO yet, there is still time. We are looking forward to a great turnout and hope to see you there! Please check ClassDojo for additional information.

Another special community event will be our annual Congaree Veterans Day Program on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in our cafeteria. We invite you to join us as we recognize the men and women who have served our country and celebrate the contributions of veterans within our own community. We are proud to honor their service and sacrifice. Please check ClassDojo for additional information about the program.

As we move through the month, we also ask that you make every effort to have your children at school before 7:30 a.m. each day and remain at school for the entire instructional day, until 2:30 p.m. Every minute matters! Time missed in the classroom means missed instruction, learning opportunities, and important interactions with teachers and classmates. Consistent, on-time attendance makes a difference in student achievement and success.

Finally, November is a time to reflect on the many things for which we are thankful for. Please know how much we appreciate you and all you do to support your children and Congaree Elementary. We are grateful for the trust you place in us and for the partnership we share in helping every student grow and succeed. You are an important part of our Congaree family, and we care about you and your children.

Thank you for being part of our journey as we continue to SOAR!

Christopher K. Dickey

Principal

A huge thank-you to our second-grade teachers and families for helping make second-grade testing a success! We appreciate your support and teamwork in helping our Aviators do their best.

As we look ahead, it's time to start talking about MAP goals! Our next MAP testing window is coming up at the end of November, and testing dates will be shared soon. In the meantime, encourage your Aviator to talk about their ELA and Math MAP goals and the progress they are making toward reaching them.

We are excited to offer students the opportunity to choose an incentive for meeting their ELA and/or Math MAP goals! Let's keep encouraging our Aviators to work hard, grow, and SOAR!

Pilot of the Month: Ms. Farley

A big congratulations to our Pilot of the Month, Ms. Farley ! She builds wonderful relationships with both students and staff, always looks for the positive, and genuinely wants to see everyone succeed. Thank you, Ms. Farley, for the encouragement, positivity, and care you bring to Congaree!

Aviators of the Month

Congratulations to our October Aviators of the Month! These students have demonstrated what it means to SOAR and represent Congaree with pride.

• Maya Marcial-Bautista
• Harmony Hughes
• Jacobi Comager
• KayLani Nelson
• Joshua Domingo Lopez

We are so proud of these Aviators!

One of my favorite parts of being a Co-Pilot is getting to celebrate the amazing things our students are doing each day. We have had SO MANY positive office referrals this month!

A huge shout-out to the following Aviators for being recognized:

We are incredibly proud of these students for making positive choices, showing kindness, demonstrating responsibility, and helping make Congaree a place where every Aviator can SOAR!

1: Daylight Savings Time Ends

2-6: National School Psychology Week

3: School Holiday - Election Day

4: PTO Skate Night

6: Chick-fil-A Biscuits $5

11: Veterans Day Assembly @ 9:00 AM

16-20: American Education Week

20: Chick-fil-A Biscuits $5

23-27: Thanksgiving Break

Per the Department of Health School Exclusion List do not send your child to school if:

• Your child has a constant cough with shortness of breath or fever.
• Your child has had 3 or more diarrhea episodes in 24 hours. Your child may return when they have no more than 2 stools above their normal. For diapered children - the stool is contained in the diaper.
• Your child has a fever over 100.4. Your child can return to school when they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
• Your child has a rash that is associated with change in behavior, fever, tenderness, oozing, or is an open wound that cannot be covered.
• Your child has had 2 or more vomiting episodes in 24 hours. Your child may return when they have not vomited in 24 hours and fell well enough to participate in routine activities.

Unfortunately, head lice can be a common issue/concern among school-age children, so please continue to check your child and other family members frequently. Head Lice can spread by direct and indirect contact. Also, remember to disinfect personal articles and Vacuum upholstered furniture and carpeted areas where children spend a lot of time.

Please visit the Department of Health’s website for more information:

https://dph.sc.gov/health-wellness/child-teen-health/early-childhood/head-lice-pediculosis

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month & Diabetes Awareness Month

Click the links to learn more information about Epilepsy and Diabetes. If you have any concerns, please reach out to Nurse Ginny.

2nd Grade – Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Second graders have been exploring the differences between fiction and nonfiction. Through an engaging read-aloud such as Komodo Dragon vs. King Cobra or Porcupine vs. Pangolin, students practiced identifying whether a story is fiction or nonfiction. Students discussed the clues that help them decide. We played a Jeopardy-style game to help us review fiction and nonfiction.

3rd Grade – Nonfiction Text Features

Third graders reviewed nonfiction text features. Students explored how features such as table of contents, headings, captions, photographs, labels, glossary, index, and diagrams help readers locate information and better understand informational or nonfiction texts.

Students "Unlocked the Library" with book hunts which helped them practice using our online catalog, Destiny Discover. Students know the "secret code" on the spine of the book is where the book can be found in the library. They also learned that if they log in to Destiny Discover with their username and password, they are able to access around 100 online books. This is really beneficial during an E-Learning or free read day!

VIP

Students in VIP enjoyed exploring the season of fall through engaging read-alouds, including Acorn Was a Little Wild, and Leif and the Fall. Students in Mrs. Ward and Ms. Waterman's class viewed a short video to learn how and why leaves change color in the fall. After our read-aloud told from the perspective of a bat inThe Bat, students discovered fascinating facts about bats and learned more about these amazing animals. Who knew there were over 1,200 species of bats!

Zoey Mathis, Nora Hasychak, Chris Rice, Zaniyah Guess, Saige Gilliam, and Lilith Huffman.

These students will receive a voucher for two tickets (one student, one guardian) to a Gamecock men’s basketball game and one women’s basketball game:

Genesis G (Ms. Williams's class)

Aubrey H. (Ms. Lawson's class)

Emory H. (Ms. Williams's class)

Jayshamarie S. (Ms. Chasteen's class)

Annabelle H. (Ms. Williams's class)

Zoey M. (Ms. Kirkman's class)

Landon M. (Ms. Williams's class)

Khaliah Sida (Mrs. Thomas's class)

An extra special shout-out to Ms. Williams's class who had the most number of students participate! Vouchers will be given out around mid-November to all students who participated.

Go Gamecocks!

Here at school, we have been very busy learning about cooperation, what it means, why it's important, and how to show it! In the first week of November, one student per class showing the most respect will be chosen and celebrated as Leader of the Month! Learning happens best when it is done both at school and at home. A hard copy newsletter on respect should have gone home from their classroom teachers. For the month of November, the character trait we will focus on will be gratitude. Be on the lookout for resources to help teach your children about this important character trait.

We now have the list of 21 qualifying students from 4th and 5th grade for the 2026-2027 school year! National Beta is the largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization in America and prepares today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. The organization recognizes high academic achievement, promotes character and social responsibility, encourages service involvement to school and community, fosters leadership skills, and provides settings for your child to develop interpersonal relationship skills. There are specific requirements that must be upheld to remain a member, commonly referred to as the A,B,C’s of Beta Club.

Academics: Members should show performance at or above grade level. His/her end-of-year needs to be all 3s and 4s with no 1s during any reporting period. Grades will be reviewed each quarter to determine if students continue to participate. Students must maintain 3s or higher in ALL classes. If a student currently has a 2 on their quarter one report card, it must be up to a 3 by quarter two to avoid probation. Also, if a student’s performance drops below the required criteria later in the year, then that student will be placed on probation and notified by letter.

Behavioral: Abide by school policy; Members cannot have ANY office referrals or disciplinary action at school or on the bus for the current school year.

Character: Members must be involved in school/community functions. Work in cooperation with fellow members, other students, and our community in a friendly, helpful manner. Be kind and respectful to all adults and students. Demonstrate leadership skills in all social settings.

Each member is required to participate in 4 hours of community service. The minimal requirements are done at school, but doing more than the minimal is always a win for the community.

The dues are $26 ($16- Initial Dues to the National Beta Club, $10-Annual Dues for the Congaree Elementary Beta Club). Permission slips will be going out soon with the due date for the form and fee.

We will hold an Induction Ceremony for students formally accepted into Junior Beta Club during the month of November. You will be notified of the date in case you would like to attend.